Bengals Greg Cook Passed away
Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 12:47 pm
By GEOFF HOBSON
Posted 51 minutes ago
Calling him “the greatest talent,†to ever play for the Bengals as well as a good friend, club president Mike Brown is mourning the death of former quarterback Greg Cook.
Cook, 65, the last man to lead the American Football League in passing before the merger as a rookie, died after an illness Thursday night in Cincinnati. Cook did what Andy Dalton and Cam Newton didn’t do this past season and led his league with 15 touchdown passes in 11 games in 1969 before his season and career were cut short with a torn rotator cuff.
In what has become one of the greatest what-ifs in sports history, Cook appeared in only one other NFL game and it wasn’t until four years later. Brown calls him “John Elway before John Elway,†and the late Bill Walsh who coached him before coaching Joe Montana to three Super Bowl titles said Cook could have been the greatest quarterback to ever play.
Cook, a University of Cincinnati product, was the fifth pick in the draft in 1969.
“I’ve lost a good friend,†Brown said Friday morning. “Greg had a good heart. He never lost his interest in quarterbacks and he would come into my office and visit with me and we would talk about prospects. He was a great quarterback. He could do it all. He was mobile, big, strong, accurate. It was the kind of injury that today could have been repaired just like that.â€
Cook was impressed with Dalton, the man who broke all his rookie records this past season. As recently as late Friday he gave the thumbs-up.
“I like him. I think he’s going to be a good one if he doesn’t get killed,†said Cook of his pass protection concerns.
Funeral arrangements are pending.
Posted 51 minutes ago
Calling him “the greatest talent,†to ever play for the Bengals as well as a good friend, club president Mike Brown is mourning the death of former quarterback Greg Cook.
Cook, 65, the last man to lead the American Football League in passing before the merger as a rookie, died after an illness Thursday night in Cincinnati. Cook did what Andy Dalton and Cam Newton didn’t do this past season and led his league with 15 touchdown passes in 11 games in 1969 before his season and career were cut short with a torn rotator cuff.
In what has become one of the greatest what-ifs in sports history, Cook appeared in only one other NFL game and it wasn’t until four years later. Brown calls him “John Elway before John Elway,†and the late Bill Walsh who coached him before coaching Joe Montana to three Super Bowl titles said Cook could have been the greatest quarterback to ever play.
Cook, a University of Cincinnati product, was the fifth pick in the draft in 1969.
“I’ve lost a good friend,†Brown said Friday morning. “Greg had a good heart. He never lost his interest in quarterbacks and he would come into my office and visit with me and we would talk about prospects. He was a great quarterback. He could do it all. He was mobile, big, strong, accurate. It was the kind of injury that today could have been repaired just like that.â€
Cook was impressed with Dalton, the man who broke all his rookie records this past season. As recently as late Friday he gave the thumbs-up.
“I like him. I think he’s going to be a good one if he doesn’t get killed,†said Cook of his pass protection concerns.
Funeral arrangements are pending.